30-year-old arrested for shooting in Paphos city centre

A shooting incident occurred in the early hours of October 8, 2026, near Kennedy Square in central Paphos. Around 2:00 a.m., a man was seen walking through the area, where he drew a pistol and fired a shot into the air before fleeing the scene. Witnesses at local restaurants and bars reportedly observed the suspect discarding the weapon in a nearby flowerbed before leaving.

Police arrived shortly after receiving reports of the incident, cordoning off the area and recovering a pistol from the flowerbed along with a shell casing found nearby. Following investigations and witness testimony, authorities identified the suspect as 30-year-old Petros Kounnas, who was already known to law enforcement. A warrant for his arrest was issued on charges of illegal possession of a firearm and explosive materials.

Following a public search and the release of his photograph, the Paphos Criminal Investigation Department (CID) confirmed that the suspect was apprehended later that same day. Kounnas is currently being held and questioned at the Paphos CID offices as the investigation into the circumstances of the event continues.